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Andy Braren

Andy is a senior Human Factors student and co-founder of Tufts MAKE. As a freelance designer and web manager, Andy runs nearly a dozen WordPress-based sites with more than 1.7 million yearly page views and 95,000 visitors each month between them. Lately he's been designing app interfaces in Sketch for Mac, prototyping them with Pixate, testing out Kirby CMS, and learning the basics of iOS app development.

Although Andy's expertise is mostly in digital stuff, he also enjoys fiddling with hardware and opening things up. He wields a soldering iron with surgeon-like precision and loves fixing broken things. He can also do some basic 3D printing and laser-cutting.

Projects

Baby BB-8

In late January a video of a bluetooth-controlled BB-8 droid created by Angelo Casimiro started circulating around the tech news circuit. Angelo's detailed instructions and well-made video were particularly interesting because he managed to build his BB-8 for just $120 by cleverly using cheap…

Dec 6 2017 Read →

Maker Tools

Maker Tools is a suite of makerspace technologies that tackle many of the common problems that makerspaces encounter within universities, libraries, and classrooms. These tools are being developed by graduate and undergraduate students at the Center for Engineering Education and Outreach (CEEO).…

Nov 2 2016 Read →

Oreo De-creamer

Start with something small When our group met with Dan Hannon to discuss the idea of starting a new product and making-oriented club, he suggested that we test out the idea with something small and fun. A video of an Oreo cookie separator was floating around the internet at the time, so we decided…

Mar 29 2013 Read →

Adaptive Cutting Board

This was a final project for ENP 105 - Assistive Technology in the Fall of 2013. The goal was to design and create an assistive technology device that could help someone either in the workplace or with everyday life. Emily and I were directed to Outside the Lines Studio in Medford, MA, where we met…

Dec 31 1969 Read →

Box Projector

During Tufts MAKE's first general interest meeting we had students think of project ideas they'd like to work on. One student was interested in creating an inexpensive portable projector, so we built this shoebox prototype using instructions we found online. Components The prototype is made of just…

Dec 31 1969 Read →

Cardboard Sleds

During Tufts MAKE's first general interest meeting we had students think of project ideas they'd like to work on. One student noticed that many Tufts students used plastic bins or lids as makeshift sleds during the winter, and that they often left behind sharp bits of plastic when those sleds…

Dec 31 1969 Read →

Maker Network status board

I'm interested in building a status board webapp that can use the Maker Network site's API to display each makerspace's upcoming events, who's in each space, and recent photos taken within that space. Each of Tufts' makerspaces would get one of these status boards. Panic Inc. makes an iOS app…

Dec 31 1969 Read →

Thinkboard

Problem Whiteboards and Post-Its are great for organizing thoughts, capturing ideas, and getting everyone on the same page, but in public spaces (like makerspaces) they frequently get erased or tampered with, despite any "Don't Erase!" warnings. For project teams working week-to-week,…

Dec 31 1969 Read →

Tufts Dash

The Big Idea “All of Tufts at a glance” Year after year, Tufts students are increasingly relying on their smartphones to check their dining hall’s menu, look up the Joey’s schedule, and find Tufts-based events to attend. The problem is that doing so is a big pain using a smartphone’s web browser – particularl…

Dec 31 1969 Read →